Machine for producing traffic lines in concrete



July 26, 1938. F. CREASON 2,125,254

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TRAFFIC LINES IN CONCRETE Filed Oct. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l 32 I I N VEN TOR, j 2 757714 67953012.

ATTORNEYS.

July 26, 1938. C EASON 2,125,254

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TRAFFIC LINES IN CONCRETE Filed Oct. 26, 1935 -s Sheets-Sheet 2 H I I INVENTOR, 2 /57/11 67"65'50/7.

ATTORNEYS.

July 26, 1938. F EASON 2,125,254

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TRAFFIC LINES IN CONCRETE Filed 001:. 26, 1935 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 llllllllli ENTOR, ZWa/M" [7685027.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TRAFFIC LINES IN CONCRETE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machine for and method of producing trafiic lines in concrete and particularly to the means and method wherein said trafiic lines are inlaid in 5i. the plastic concrete roadbed under construction.

The principal object of the present invention is the production of a traffic marking strip in the body of a highway construction while the concrete is green and plastic, thus insuring proper bonding between the road construction material and the marking strip.

Another object of this invention is the method of inlaying a strip of plastic material in the green material of a roadway so that upon hardening, the strip becomes anintegral part of the roadway.

A further object of the invention is the pro vision of a machine that is adjustable to roads of different surface contours and widths.

Many other objects will appear during the course of the specification, wherein reference will be had to the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a machine for installing traffic lines in a concrete roadway embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the machine in operative position on the roadway.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse, sectionalview taken on line IIIIII of Fig. l, with parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the roadway, showing the different stages of the formation of the marking strip.

Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the sled member.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the sled member in operative position.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, cross sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical, cross sectional view taken on line V1IIVIII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the strip or filler embedded in the plastic concrete oi the roadway to produce the groove.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 9, with the forming strip removed.

Fig. 11 shows a cross sectional view of the sled, with the runners engaging the opposite side walls of the groove.

Fig. 12 is a section through the rear portion of the sled in the operative position, with the groove filled with a plastic cement filler.

Fig. 13 is a vView similar to that shown in Fig. 12, with the sled moved out of engagement 55 therewith.

Fig. 14 shows the cross sectional view of the marking strip in its complete form, and,

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the hollow axle.

Throughout the several views like reference 5 characters designate similar parts and the numeral 2|] indicates a carriage or bridge member, mounted on wheels 22 and 24, which in turn are adapted to rest on the rails or side forms 25 that serve to maintain the road material 28 10 within the limits of the roadbed.

Wheels 22 are provided with double flanges 20 that serve to maintain them in operative position on the rail; also wheels 24 are provided with flanges 32. The body of carriage 20 consists of 15 a fabricated framework, having end members 34 and 33 secured together by means of cross members 38.

Each set of wheels 22 and 24 are in axial alignment and are mounted respectively on hollow 20 axle 4i] and squared axle 42. These axles are rotatably mounted in bearings M carried by members, 36 and 34 and squared axle 42 is slidably mounted in the squared socket 46 positioned in hollow axle 46.

The following driving mechanism is provided for moving the entire carriage lengthwise of the roadway and consists of a sprocket wheel 48, rigidly mounted on axle 32, a transverse shaft 59 mounted in bearings 52, which in turn are carried by platform 5 Rigidly mounted on shaft 50 is a small sprocket wheel 56 which is interconnected with sprocket wheel 48 by sprocket chain 58. The opposite end of shaft 50 carries a sprocket wheel 56 through the intermediacy of chain 62. Through the intermediacy of chain 62 sprocket 60 is in operative relation with sprocket 64. Sprocket 64 is mounted on a shaft 66, rotatably carried by bracket 68, which is adapted to be rotated manually by means of crank arm Hi, having a hand hold 12. This driving mechanism is so geared that great leverage is obtained for driving the carriage in either direction.

The mechanism for laying the marking strip of concrete consists of a sled member '54, having a body portion 16 and downwardly extending runners 78. The lower portion of the body of the sled is of planar form and is adapted to rest on the surface of the roadbed with the downwardly extending runners l8 engaging the side walls 8% of the groove 82. A vertically extending wall 84, spaced-apart from the opposite runners, together with an U-shaped cross member 86, serves to form a hopper 88 which opens into groove 82 when the sled is in the operaas at I29.

tive position. The rear end of the sled is of a continuous planar form in cross section, as shown in Fig. 8, and serves to form and pack the material into groove 82 as the sled is moved forwardly. Sled I4 is interconnected with carriage for universal adjustment, thereby permitting it to be adjusted to the contour of the road surface, regardless of the cross sectional form of the surface of the road.

Mounted on cross bars 38 are transversely disposedjparaiiel tubes 99, on which are adjustably mounted brackets 92. These brackets are provided with openings 94 and serve as bearings for vertically disposed adjusting rods 95 to prevent relative longitudinal movement of rods 94 in. brackets 92. Collars 98 are secured to rod 95 at opposite sides of 92, thereby allowing rotary movement of 96. Lower end of 99 is threaded as at I09 and is adjustably mounted in the threaded opening I02 of arm I04. at I06 to cross bar I98 secured to sled I4 adjacent its front portion. This construction permits of transverse oscillation of. arm I94 relative to the sled.

This sled supporting mechanism is duplicated at the two sides of the front portion of the sled. At the rear portion of the sled similar parts as just described are provided for mounting the sled in proper position relative to the carriage and the roadbed. The arms I94 are pivotally mounted to ears lill which are formed integral with the body of the sled. For propelling the sled during the operation of the machine, standards H2 extend upwardly from the body of the sled in the path of travel the end member 36, which serves to propel the sled forwardly without exerting too much strain on the adjusting parts. Furthermore, these standards H2 are positioned just to the rear of the tube 90, thus making it possible to move the sled backwardly forcing 92 against standards H2.

It will be observed that the U-shaped cross member 86 is slightly rounded as at H4 so as to ride over the material and cause a proper packing of the same.

When this marking device is used on a crowned road which consists primarily of two planar road surfaces angled relative to each other, it is apparent that by the operation of hand wheels H6 mounted on shafts 96 the sled 14 may be tilted to either side to conform to the surface of the strip into which the marking strip is being embedded.

The method of forming or constructing this marking strip is best shown in Figs. 4, 9, DD, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that an insert strip or filler H8 is embedded the soft concrete with its upper surface flush with the surface of the road.

This strip H8 is preferably made of a rubber composition which is best suited for use in the wet concrete since it is impervious to moisture and can be removed without distorting the walls of the groove. This strip H8 is pressed into the concrete roadbed as the same is laid and leveled and is removed just prior to the approach of the strip-laying machine which follows the concrete laying machine at a short distance and before any. material hardening of the concrete. When H8 is removed, a groove 82 as shown in Fig. 10 is produced which has vertical side walls 99 as shown in Fig. 10.

As the machine moves forwardly, runners I8 move along side walls 89 and around the corner A piastic or semi-fluid material I22 This arm I94 is pivoted is now deposited between runners I8 into groove 82. It is then leveled and packed by surface I24 of sled I4. As the sled moves forwardly away from the deposited material, it appears as shown in Fig. 13 with slight grooves at its opposite edges.

It has been found best to slightly trowel the inserted strip and the adjacent road material after the machine has completed its work. For convenience of the workmen in operating the device, a platform H26, supported at its opposite ends on members 35 and 34, is provided. This platform may be moved transversely of the machine to position it relative to the sled I4. Other similar platforms might be added if needed.

The carriage might be drawn by road surfacing machine thus eliminating the necessity of an operator, or it might be provided with a motor driving device that could drive it at any desired rate of speed.

It is apparent that the machine shown and described is adapted to lay a trafiic line of plastic material in a green concrete roadbed which will have a secure bonding therewith. Furthermore, the material of the dividing strip will be so positioned and separated from the side walls of the groove in the concrete during the formation. of the strip that joining lines of the two materials will be definite and straight and without the usual ragged edge effect. Also with this device many different materials might be used to obtain the desired effect. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to bersecured by Letters Patent is:

, 1. A machine for filling a groove formed in a concrete roadbed with a plastic material, comprising a carriage movable over said concrete roadbed; a sled member adjustably carried by said carriage having spaced-apart runners extending downwardly from the body of said sled to engage the opposite side walls of said groove as the body of the sled rests on the surface of said roadbed; means formed by said sled to direct a plastic filler into said groovebetween said runners and a leveiing and packing member integral with said sled whereby the plastic material is formed to fill said groove and means whereby the front and rear ends of said sled are independently adjustable.

2. A machine for filling a groove formed in a plastic concrete roadbed comprising a sled having a rectangular planar body portion with downwardly extending, spaced-apart, parallel sled runners adapted to engage the opposite side walls of said groove, as the planar body of said sled rests on the surface of said roadbed adjacent opposite sides of the groove; the rear portion of said sled body being formed to extend across said groove in parallel relation with said planar body portion,

and having an opening formed throughout the major portion thereof intermediate said runners whereby plastic material may be delivered into said groove; and means adjustable to independently adjust the vertical position of each corner of said rectangular body portion relative to said roadbed surface.

3. A machine for filling a groove in a concrete roadbed with a semi-liquid material comprising a carriage movable over said road bed and automatically adjustable to different widths of roads; a sled member, adjustably carried by said carriage, having a planar lower body surface and spaced-apart, parallel runners extending downwardiy from the sled body to engage the .oppoa site side walls of said groove as said planar sur face rests on the roadbed adjacent the groove; a hopper carried by said sled adapted to direct a semi-liquid material into said groove between said runners; means including a rear portion of the planar body whereby the filler material is level to the surface of the roadway and means adjustable to vary the relative relation of the planar surface of the sled and the major plane of the carriage.

4. A machine for filling a groove, in a green concrete roadbed, with a plastic material, comprising a carriage adapted to bridge the roadbed; means associated with said carriage operable to move said carriage over said roadbed; a sled member, adjustably carried by said carriage for vertical and horizontal movement, having a planar lower body surface and spaced-apart, parallel runners extending downwardly from the sled body to engage the opposite side walls of said groove as said planar surface throughout its entire length rests on the roadbed adjacent the groove; a hopper carried by said sled adapted to direct a semi-liquid material into said groove between said runners; and means including a rear portion of the planar body whereby the filler material is leveled to the surface of the roadway while said runners are engaging the side walls of that portion of the groove in which the filler is being leveled.

5. A machine for filling a groove in a concrete roadbed with a semi-liquid material comprising a carriage movable over said roadbed and automatically adjustable to different widths of roads; a rectangular sled member having a planar bottom surface and downwardly extending, parallel runners, an independently adjustable connection from each corner of said sled to said carriage whereby said planar bottom surface may be adjusted to coincide with the surface of the roadbed as the runners engage opposite sides of the groove; and means for leveling plastic material deposited in said groove between said runners as the machine is moved forwardly.

FRANK CREASON. 

